AI chatbots are programmed to fill many roles simultaneously, more than any human partner ever could.

Some people who resist depending on others have rapidly grown dependent on AI with no apparent resistance.

When we offload skills to AI, whether cognitive or emotional, we risk those skills being weakened.

Humans still need human touch. That need is non-negotiable and cannot be met by current AI technology.

People often say that it’s healthy to want a partner, but not to need one. Does the same apply to AI chatbots?

Three years ago, most people had never had a conversation with an AI. Today, many AI users consider their chatbots indispensable for processing a hard week, thinking through a career decision, managing anxiety, or feeling less alone at midnight. ChatGPT alone now reaches 800 million weekly active users, a number that doubled in a matter of months in early 2025.

It took a decade before researchers began seriously examining what social media was doing to human connection. We don’t have a decade this time. For some users, dependency is already here, and we are barely beginning to name it.

Why Do Some People Feel Dependent on AI Chatbots?

Part of what makes this so easy to miss is that chatbots can be remarkably good at what they do—and what they do now covers an extraordinary range of human territory. A single platform is programmed to function simultaneously as a personal assistant, therapist, creative collaborator, romantic companion, and friend.

No human relationship offers that combination—not because humans are inadequate,........

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